'There's A Difference Between Virat Kohli And Cheeku...'- Yuvraj Singh

Former India batter Yuvraj Singh recently raised a number of eyebrows with his comments about his relationship with his ex-teammate and captain MS Dhoni.

The India great recently appeared on the TRS podcast and opened up on his career and personal life. One of his answers from the podcast went viral as it took the fans by surprise. The World Cup winner did not shy away from giving an honest answer when the host asked him about his much-talked-about relationship with MS Dhoni, saying that he and the former India captain are not close friends.

Over the years, the relationship between India’s greats has been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. Several reports suggest that when Dhoni was appointed as the captain of the Indian team, Yuvraj Singh was far from pleased. Additionally, Yograj Singh, the father of the former middle-order batsman, has occasionally taken shots at Dhoni.

Yuvraj Singh on Virat Kohli:

After raising a number of eyebrows with his comments for Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh also spoke about his relationship with Virat Kohli during the same interview. He was already an established and senior member of the team when Kohli made his debut for India as a 19-year-old in 2008.

While Yuvraj did not play too many matches with Kohli, they developed a strong relationship over the years. Kohli also backed the left-handed batter when he became the captain of the limited-overs team in 2017. Opening up on his relationship with Kohli, Yuvraj revealed that of late he doesn’t talk to Kohli that much as the latter is very busy.

“Not really,” Yuvraj said when asked whether he was in touch with Kohli. “I don’t disturb him as he is busy. Young Virat Kohli’s name was Cheeku. Today’s Cheeku is Virat Kohli, there’s a big difference.”

“We all wanted to become a fit team but when he (Kohli) became captain there was a big difference. He set a benchmark,” he added while speaking about Kohli’s impact on the Indian team.

Speaking further, he also talked about Kohli’s footballing skills, saying: “He thinks he’s a very good footballer, but I have more skills. He is young, he runs around. He thinks he is Cristiano Ronaldo but he isn’t. In cricket, he is. In terms of fitness, it matches (their mentality), and the focus on the game also.”